Observations: Half to Washington DC Debuts

2.00 Navan, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, 5f 164yT
AESOP'S FABLES (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the latest potential Royal Ascot star to appear for Ballydoyle in 2022 and a notable one as a half-brother to that meeting's Listed Windsor Castle S. winner Washington DC (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}). Along with that sire, whose career win total included the G3 Phoenix Sprint S., this February-foaled bay is also a half to the stable's G3 Chester Vase runner-up Sandhurst (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and he meets Peter Brant's Curragh third Midnight Toker (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), the Ger Lyons-trained half-brother to the G3 Grosser Preis von Hamburg winner K Club (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) who cost €330,000 at Goffs Orby.

3.51 Leicester, Novice, £8,000, 3yo, 10fT
MAGISTERIAL (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) has sufficient draw to bring Frankie Dettori to the track, as a Bjorn Nielsen-owned Derby entry beginning his 3-year-old campaign under a penalty having won at Haydock in October. A half-sister to Coolmore's queen Lillie Langtry (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), the John and Thady Gosden trainee has a Godolphin newcomer to give seven pounds to in the Charlie Appleby-trained Ruling Dynasty (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), a half-brother to the stable's Old Persian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).

Observations: How They Fared

4.10 Sandown, Nov, £11,000, 3yo, f, 9f 209yT
Darmoiselle (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), the full-sister to Too Darn Hot (GB), Lah Ti Dar (GB) and So Mi Dar (GB) out of Dar Re Mi (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), was not expected to do anything major on debut at 16-1 and never threatened to do so in 10th.